16.881 – Robust System Design
Homework #1 Variation and Its Economic Consequences
Due Date: Monday, June 8, 1:05-2:55 (the first meeting of 16.881)
Objectives:
• Provide motivation for the course by defining a real problem that we may be able to
solve with robust design
• Prompt exploration of alternative term projects
• Stimulate thought about variation and its effect on your company
Assignment
1) Read “Robust Quality” by Taguchi and Clausing for a high level overview of the
subject of this course
2) Form a team comprised of from one to five 16.881 students. The expected
accomplishments of the team scale linearly with the number of students. You may
wish to use this opportunity to form and build your term project team. I suggest you
build teams with members of your own company if possible.
3) Select a system for investigation. For maximum impact, select a system that your
company is responsible for designing, operating, or managing. You may wish to use
this system as the subject of your term project as well. In this case, you should have
some degree of control over the system so that you can perform experiments when
you return to work later this summer. Senior management support for the
investigation of the system is highly desirable as it will facilitate access for data
collection.
4) Carefully define the function of the system. This function should have a quantitative
definition insofar as possible.
5) Describe an undesirable variation in this function. By “variation”, I mean a change in
the function of the system upon repeated trials under ostensibly equal conditions. The
variation can be over time, from unit to unit, or within a unit.
6) Investigate and quantify the economic consequences of the variation in this function.
Deliverables
Create a brief written and oral report of your results. The written report should be no
more than two pages per team member. The oral report should be no more than two
minutes per team member.